Portable electric light.



ms. MACKAYB. PORTABLE ELECT-RIG LIGHT.

irrzznrro: nun my 19. new

PTEKTED GC'T. 6, 1903.

[NVENTOR i handle. as 12, hinged to the box, as at 13,

electric lamp 1 on the artificial candle 2 is PATENT OFFICE.

- HAROLD S. MACKAYE, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LlG HT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ZPs'te-ntNo. 740,671, dated October 6, 1908.

I Application led Ho] 19. 1903. v

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD S. MACKAYE, acitizon of the United States, residing in the city of Yonkers, in the county of W'est-chester and State of New York, have invented ncertain newand useful Improvement in Portable Electric Lights, ofwhich the following is a specification.

One object of the present invention is the provision of an improved interior arrangement of batteries and their connections re quiring no solder and making it impossible for any user to put the battery into the be; in the wrong way.

Another object of the inventionis the prevision of means whereby an electric candle shall light automatically when lifted, the same be ng preferably also arranged to. be lighted when not lifted, ifrlesired. The menu-F. i for accomplishing these two objects are not necessarily combined in order to come within the scope of this invention; but I prefer the construction herein shown, wherein both of said objects are secured at once.

My invention is illustrated in its preferred form in the accompanying drawings, where m--- t v r a Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved candle. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail plan of the swinging circuit-closer. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the double contact-springs, and- Figs. 5 and 6 are opposite perspective views of the battery-box preferably used with this candle.

In Fig. 1 the position of the battery of three cells is indicated in dotted lines. Here the connected to the brtery within the box or stand 3 by the wiret 1 and 5, shown in dotted lines. Each side of the box 3 is provided with as many spring-terminals as there are battery-cells. In the form shown and preferred that-1' are th ee springs on each side, two of Which are electrically connected to gether on each side. The springs 6 on one side and 7' on the other are single springs. Springs 8 and 9 on one side and 10 and 11 on the other are in pairs, as best shown in Fig. 4. The box is provided with a suitablysh'aped and f om which depend;- tem 14, carry '"ng i a circuit-closing button or bridging-piece Serial No 157.788. 15o nodal.)

15. This stem passes through the bottom of the box between two metallic terminals 16 and 17, fastened to said bottom within the box. These terminals in the preferred construction shown are respectively connected by wires 18 or 19 or otherwise to the sing-lo spring 6 and one of the conductorsl 5,1eading to the lamp 1.

The battery consists of three cells laid side by side within a thin rectangular tube or innor box 20 and separated by insulating-partitions 21. inspection 'of Figs. 5 and 6 will show that these cells are laid in each box with their zinc and carbon ends alternating at both sides of the battery. Ordinary dry-battery cells are-shown,such as are common for portable electric lights.

When the inner box 20 is laid into the outer candle-box 3, itrests on the strips 22, thus leaving a space under the box 20 for play of the button 15, and the cells assume the'position's indicated in do ed lincsin Fig. 1. The spring-contacts ea. make electric contact with-one end of one cell on both sides of the battery. .The slidinglid having been pushed back into place in the groove 23, when the candle is lifted by the handle 12 its weight causesits forward end to tilt downward on the hinge 13 until the button. 15 comes against 16 and 17 to support the whole. This closes circuit as follows: from, the right-hand cell in Fig. 1 to spring 6, by wire 18 to 17. 15, and 16, by wire 10 to the lamp conductors 4 and 5 and the .lamp 1, by spring 7 to the left-hand batterycell in Fig. 1, by'springs 9 and S'to the middle cell, acrossthe springs 11 and 10, and thus back to the starting-point. 0n putting down the candle the weight 0! the button 15 and its portion-of the handle 12 will open circuit. Itis evident that it makes no difference which way the battery is put in.

For lighting the candle when not lifted the handle 12 is preferably provided with an upturned beak 23.' The arm 24 is pivoted at 25 in such a position that when turned under the beak 23 by the handle 26 it wedges said beak upward, and with it the button 15, closing circuit as long as kept in this position.

The'form of switch last described may be r placed by rmyoiher without departing from I'atented October s, 1903.

= automatic lighting.

A number of changes may be made in the construction herein describedwithont deport ing from my invention, and I am not tobe limited to the details heroin shown and described except as specifically expressed in the respective claims hereof.

Wnst I claim is- 1. A box carrying an electric lsrnp and its conductors, con-tsctrspringsnt the sides of said box and a dry battery fitting ssid box and lmving ite cells placed with electrodes alternately positive and negative exposed at both ends so as to make contactwith said springs, substantially as described.

2'. A box carrying an electric lamp and its conductors, three contact-springs on'esch side two of which on each side are permanently connected together electrically, the single spring on each side being diagonally opposite to that on the other and s three-coll battery in said boa: making contact with said springs, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a box carrying an exterior-electric lamp andan interior battery, a handle hinged to said box and a circuitcloser adspted for operation bymovement of said handle about its hinge when said handle is normally'used to lift the box, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a box carrying an exterior electric lam p and an in terlor battery,

a handle hinged to said box so as to tilt up ward relatively to the box when the latter is litted bysaid handle and a-circuit oloser adopted for operation by the relative move- "111 813 of box endlmndle on lilting: said box by said handle, snbstnntislly as described.

5. A box carrying an external electric lsmp and an interior battery, a handle hinged to said box, a. stem attached to said handle and on sold stem rind two nie-tnl'strips in the lampcircuit adspted to be mutually connected by said bridgingpiece, substantially as d0.

scribed. 6. A-bo-xcs-rryingan ex-torunlelectrlo lamp and-en interior battery, means for lifting the wholecomprising a bridging-piecondnplcd to more when the candle is lifted and two contacbpieccs in the lempwircuit against which said bridging-piece abuts when the candle is lifted, substantially as described.

7. A box carrying an electric lnm-pland a battery therefor, one member of a circuitolosing switch carried by said box and a hamdie carrying the second member of said circult-closing switch said handle being hinged so as normally to fall into a position corrossaid handle is turned around its hinge for liftinz the box, substantially as described.

8. An exterior box, an interior bnttorybox, means within the outer box iorsepnrnting the two boxes, at bridging-pie0o in the space thus made nndmcnns extending through the box "for moving said bridging-piece, substantially as described.

HAROLD vS. MACKAYE.

Witnesses:

Tnoxms C. Nnwros,

G20. 13. Scn-LE'Y.

ponding to separation of said switch members, but so as to briugsnld mom-hers together when} pessing'into said box, a metal bridging-piece 

